SCORE: Do I need a LinkedIn profile?

One of the misconceptions about LinkedIn is that it is strictly a resume site. The fact of the matter is your potential employees, customers, partners and investors are looking for you on LinkedIn. It is the world’s largest professional network. Launched 10 years ago, today it has more than 250 million users. Users are people who build their professional identity online – or as I like to call it, their personal sales page.

Do business owners need a LinkedIn profile page? Emphatically, yes. It’s a powerful tool. Years ago a business could survive without a website. Today it’s impossible to maintain credibility without a web presence. Your profile page is essentially your mini-website. It positions you as an expert at what you do while spotlighting your company. A complete LinkedIn profile is a way to gain Google juice. When someone is checking you out or your company, they will Google your name, and your LinkedIn profile will be right at the top of the search engine results.

Owners and CEOs often tell me they are established and do not need to have an online presence. Or, they believe it’s a type of bragging, while in fact it’s a way of helping you and your business. Sales prospects, recruiters, vendors, suppliers, potential employees are looking to LinkedIn to get information and a feel for you and how you run your company. If you are not on LinkedIn, it’s sending a message. If you are on LinkedIn with a poorly written and incomplete profile it too speaks volumes about you.

What information would you include in your profile? I recommend the 80 / 20 rule. Twenty percent covers your background and what qualifies you to do what you do. Eighty percent goes forward with what you and your company do for others. Imagine what you might say to a potential executive candidate or to an investor or to a bank loan officer.

Be sure to include a smiling and engaging professional photo of yourself. The copy should be written in the first person in a friendly style. LinkedIn is about building relationships with people. People want to connect with real individuals, not with your corporate bio. If you need help with the copy and setting up your LinkedIn profile there are people who specialize in those services.

With a quality LinkedIn profile you will discover new opportunities, attract talent, and foster mutually beneficial relationships.

Rick Itzkowich is a LinkedIn business mentor and volunteer workshop presenter with San Diego SCORE. He can be reached via email: Rick@rickitzkowich.com or phone: 858-456-7653.